Guilt Trip
by Dr. Magic PhD
Summary: Episode 13 in the 'Complete' series: Matthew's love affair comes to light, while the brothers have to deal with a mysterious forest that is trapping the souls of innocents. With James now acting as the mediator between Wesley and Matthew, how will the Complete work their way out of this?
1. Back In The Day I

_Chattahoochee National Forest – December 1979_

Erik reached out a hand and helped Lauren to her feet. They both panted heavily, exhausted from running around for the past half hour. The night sky provided hardly any light, thanks to the extremely thin fingernail crescent of moonlight that was barely visible in the sky. The thick crowd of trees blockaded what little moonlight there could have been. Armed with only a couple of flashlights, Erik and Lauren searched the immediate area. Random bursts of high-pitched laughter echoed around them, further frustrating them. Erik let loose a blood curdling masculine roar, channeling his anger at the situation. Lauren wrapped her dainty arms around his muscular frame, squeezing him tightly to calm him.

"Sweetie," she cooed softly, "don't let them get you like this. We need to stay focused so we can get this over with."

"Sorry," Erik said through gritted teeth. His breathing gradually normalized to a somewhat normal rhythm. He looked into Lauren's eyes and quickly calmed down. Thinking of her always made him feel at ease. He was lucky to have met her. "You're right…you're always right."

"Tell me something I don't know," she responded with a coy smile. "So let's just calm down, find this demon, and finish this so we can get back to our date night."

"Okay," Erik said, leaning down to kiss Lauren. His ears picked up a faint sound; something had been listening in on their conversation. A strong ringing resounded inside his head, alerting him to danger. "He's here. I can sense him close to here."

They moved back to back, giving them a combined three hundred sixty degree view of their immediate surroundings. They stood in an open area of forest, illuminated only by the waning crescent moon and their flashlights. It was a small clearing that was almost completely enclosed by majestic trees that seemed to stretch hundreds of feet into the sky. A trail had been worn through the area, leading from one patch of trees, into the clearing, to another patch of trees on the opposite side.

Erik's senses tipped him off again. He gently grabbed Lauren and turned her in his direction. They aimed their flashlights at a particular patch of trees that looked somewhat different from the others. There were five of them. They were shorter by far, and had a subtly different shade of color to their bark. The two cautiously tiptoed toward the trees to examine them more closely. Lauren squeezed Erik's hand; he pulled her in close to him for comfort. He moved in front of her and reached out to feel one of the tree's narrow trunks. It felt rough and jagged, as did the other trees. Lauren kept her flashlight trained on the tree, following Erik's hand as he examined its surface.

As he ran his fingers along the tree, he started to feel strange leathery spots along the sides of the trunk. He definitely thought it odd that trees had soft spots. He turned his own flashlight back to the front of the tree. He and Lauren looked closely at the lines of the bark; they seemed different from the other trees. Following the lines of the bark, Erik could almost make out human features. If he imagined it, he thought he saw a face, contorted in pain and stuck inside the tree.

"Can you see it?" he asked Lauren, tracing the outline of what he believed was a face carved into the tree.

"A human face?" Lauren said a bit skeptically. "That's kind of a stretch, don't you think?"

"I know," Erik insisted, "but I got a strong vibe from this tree, and the others that look like it. You know my hunches are never wrong."

"I know," Lauren confirmed with a smirk. "Just give me a second. I'm sure I'll be able to see it if I look hard enough."

"Well be my guest," Erik said, stepping back and letting Lauren take his place. He guided her olive colored fingers along the crevices that made up the ambiguous face. As he directed her perceptions, a sudden jolt in his senses caught his attention. Without warning, he grabbed her arm firmly and pushed her away from himself, as he leaned backwards and quickly landed on his back.

A dark green sphere struck the tree where Lauren's hand had just been. Looking up, Erik could swear he saw the face in the tree twist into a different expression as the green energy dissipated within it, momentarily illuminating it an eerie green color. Lauren, meanwhile, looked towards the source of the projectile. She saw what looked to be a man standing on the other side of the clearing, about thirty yards away, with his left arm outstretched. With the darkness of the forest, neither Erik nor Lauren could make out any distinctive features of the man. They both knew, however, that the man had just attacked them.

"See him?" Lauren asked, keeping her eyes on their assailant.

"Got him," Erik confirmed, both he and Lauren standing to their feet. "Ready?"

"Always, sweetie," Lauren said as her body quickly faded into the air.

"What do you want here?" the strange man shouted across the clearing. "This is not your turf. And where did the girl go?"

"That's none of your business," Erik replied in a deep menacing tone. "We've been tracking you for a while now and as for what we want, that should be pretty clear. You're the bad guy. We're the good guys. Do you need a minute to put two and two together?"

"Stupid witches," the man spat. "You're of no concern to me. I'm only interested in…"

Something cut his words short as he abruptly fell to the ground. Lauren's form quickly faded back into view as she moved towards Erik, keeping her eyes on the man. Erik laughed as the man fell, further enraging him. With catlike reflexes, the man swiftly sprang to his feet and leapt into the air on a crash course with Lauren. Her smile turned into a frown as her pace quickened. Erik ran to her aid, but he was still twenty yards away and the man was almost on her. She flicked her hands at the man and his quick pouncing suddenly became a snail-paced glide in the air, as if she had hit the slow motion button on a remote control.

Lauren took the opportunity and moved out of the path of the man, joining Erik in a matter of seconds. The sound of crunching leaves was the only sound to fill the empty night air. Erik ran forward and threw his body into the air, catching the man who was still stuck moving at an extremely slow pace. He wrapped both of his burly arms around the man and oriented the man's body beneath his so that he landed on him. They hit the ground hard, Erik maintaining his iron grip on the man's arms.

"You got the spell?" he called out to Lauren.

"Got it," she answered, fumbling in her pocket for a piece of paper. She reached for her flashlight and shone it on the spell she had copied. She made sure to read slowly but loudly so that the man could clearly hear her words.

_"I call upon the powers to create this bond  
That is nevermore to be undone…"_

"Impossible," the man grunted as he thrashed about in Erik's grip. "You witches don't have the power to vanquish me!"

The man, hearing those words however, was overcome with both desperation and determination. Normally he was convinced that no witch could defeat him, but were these two up to something? He did not want to take any chances. He wrestled Erik and managed to turn his body so that he was no longer pinned under Erik's weight. Once free, he maneuvered his legs and twisted them around Erik's torso. He applied as much pressure as he could muster, and eventually Erik loosened his grip. It was all the man needed. With a loud grunt, he released his scissor hold and rolled backwards to safety, where he jumped to his feet once again. He wasted no time and unleashed a ball of dark green energy that crackled through the air, headed right for Erik.

"No!" Lauren shouted as she immediately let go of the paper with the spell. She reached out toward the energy ball and its rapid pace slowed down at once, along with the man who shot it, giving Erik ample time to avoid it.

Instead of moving out the way, Erik rose to his feet and stood his ground. As the energy ball approached, Erik crossed his arms over his chest. A bright blue light in the form of a circular shield came out of the cross made with his arms, gradually growing larger until it extended from his neck to his waist and reached from his left to his right. He looked to Lauren, nodding his head. As though they were on the same page, she nodded back, although hesitantly, and deactivated her power with a quick flick of her wrist.

The flickering green ball of energy resumed its normal rapid pace, headed on a crash course towards Erik. It struck the blue shield of light with a resounding force as Erik grunted through his teeth. Erik took a step back as he doubled his strength. The green energy ball spun around itself as it attempted to penetrate Erik's defensive shield. He thrust his arms forward and the light shield deflected the man's green attack back in his direction. Lauren ran and joined Erik as they watched the projectile strike the man full force. He was thrown back and slammed into the trunk of one of the taller trees in the forest. Flecks of dark green energy licked at his body as he slumped to the ground, dazed from being hit by his own attack.

"That didn't kill him?" Lauren asked Erik. "That was our main plan, to hit him with his own attack."

"Well we still have our other option," Erik said. "And since there's not a vanquishing spell, it looks like we don't have any other choice. We took a shot with this plan as it was."

"But if we do that," Lauren argued, "then all those trapped souls won't be freed. We were supposed to save them as well as vanquish this guy."

"I know," Erik replied, sighing. He embraced Lauren and kissed her forehead. "I know they won't be free. But remember what the Book said. It takes a great power to vanquish this demon and free the trapped souls. As strong as we are, and we're pretty strong, we…we might not have the combined power to do it."

"A Complete power?" Lauren asked. "What's more complete than you and me? Sweetie, we're newlyweds, we're both witches, and we're expecting a child. That is the definition of complete. Erik, we've got it all."

"I think so too," Erik said, "but I think we both know what 'Complete' power means. And as far as we both know, we're not them. Besides, they're three, not two."

For a minute, Lauren said nothing. She knew deep down that Erik was telling the truth. This Complete power of which he spoke involved three witches; she and Erik together did not possess that type of power. It was a legendary power that neither of them was willing to admit they did not have. They had completely fooled themselves thinking that together they could stop this particular demon. They both knew that their only hope was their other option. Lauren, hesitant at first but quickly soon after, ran back to where she dropped the paper and retrieved it. Rejoining Erik, together they read the words as the man, still in agony on the ground, protested.


	2. Back In The Day II

_**Chattahoochee National Forest – February 1980**_

"Dinner's ready boys!" Joel called to his two sons, Jace and Jackson.

"Jace is stuck in a tree!" Jackson shouted back to Joel, laughing the entire time.

"No I'm not!" Jace yelled, obviously struggling to loosen his foot from in between two branches.

Ten year old Jace sat impatiently on the larger limb of a tree while he worked tirelessly to pry his foot free from the confines of two crisscrossed branches. He was climbing the tree earlier on a dare from his older twelve year old brother Jackson, who stayed on the ground watching. Wanting to go even higher, Jace had wedged his foot in between what he thought was a sturdy foothold, but the branches gave way and partially split apart when enough weight was put on them. They had separated and snapped back together like a rubber band, trapping Jace's foot.

"Help your brother down, Jackson," Joel said casually as he removed the skillet from the fire and emptied its contents onto a third plate. He set the hot skillet onto a patch of dirt to cool and brought the plates over to a folding table. "We spent all morning and afternoon fishing; it's finally time to cash in."

"Finally!" Jackson exclaimed. "Food's ready!"

"No fair!" Jace shouted, still working to free his foot. "I wanna eat too! I caught the most fish, so I should…AAAAHHHH!"

Jace finally worked his foot out of the branches and lost his balance on the limb, hurtling to the ground. He threw his hands in front of him and cushioned his fall. Fortunately he had not been able to go as high as he wanted and only slightly sprained his wrist. Joel jumped up and ran to his son's aid, picking him up and carrying him back to the folding table. He carefully set Jace on a chair and examined his wrist. He exhaled sharply when he realized that it was only a sprain.

"Why were you in the tree in the first place?" Joel admonished Jace with a stern glare. He reached for a first aid kit near the table and pulled out some athletic tape. "I told you two to stay close while I got the food ready. If your mother was here we'd _all_ be in some trouble."

"We were just over _there_, Dad," Jace explained, pointing to the tree he had fallen from some twenty yards away. "Jackson dared me to do it!"

"No I didn't!" Jackson protested loudly from the opposite side of the table. "He bet me he could do it and I said he couldn't!"

"You said 'I dare you to climb that tree to the top,'" Jace countered as Joel wrapped the tape tightly around his wrist, causing him to wince a bit. "Ow!"

"It's what you get for climbing that tree without someone responsible close," Joel said, laughing a bit.

"Dad," Jackson said, "you always treat us like we're still little kids. We're big kids."

"Yeah," Jace agreed. "We can take care of ourselves."

Joel laughed at his sons' statements. It took him back to when he was their age. He thought back to the time he was with his own father, arguing him down for freedom and independence. It was apparently a part of life that was destined to repeat itself as he suddenly found himself in his father's position and his sons in his thirty-five years ago.

"If you say so," he replied in the same way his own father had to him.

The three of them sat down and ate the fish they had worked so hard to catch that day. Joel loved spending time with his two boys, bonding with them. He knew that they would be grown much more quickly than he could realize; he wanted to enjoy as much time with them as he could. He and his wife Tiffany made sure to have a happy and healthy relationship with their kids. She happily stayed behind to have a girls' night out with her friends while the men of the family took a camping trip for the weekend.

"How's the food?" Joel asked his boys.

"Good," Jace answered through a mouth full of fish.

"_Real_ good," Jackson added, giving a thumbs up.

After an hour, the three had finally finished their meal and cleaned up. The sun was beginning to set and they decided to set up their tent before it was too dark. To them, it was the longest twenty minutes of their lives trying to put the tent together, but they managed to get it done just as dusk spread across the sky.

"Let's go find some more firewood for tonight," Joel suggested to his sons. "I don't think we've got enough."

"Cool," Jackson said, running to grab Joel's large ax. "Can I chop down the tree?"

"We'll see," Joel said, smiling as Jackson dragged the heavy tool across the dirt.

Joel, Jackson, and Jace all gathered flashlights as the natural light gradually faded away. They hiked away from their clearing and into the woods, in search of a tree that was not too large, but not too small. They found the perfect sized tree after only a few minutes. It was a tall tree, but had many thick branches that would make great pieces of firewood. Shining his flashlight around the area, Joel found an even smaller tree a few feet away that he felt was appropriate for the boys to chop away.

"Why don't y'all start on this one?" Joel asked, pointing to the young sapling. "Jack, you can cut it down. You and Jace can take turns chopping it up once it falls. Make sure when you swing, Jack, you put your weight into it, like this."

Joel grabbed the ax and motioned for his kids to stand back. They kept their flashlights on their father, watching his movements carefully. Joel twisted the ax around his right side, then pivoted and swung it towards the base of the trunk at a downward angle. Both Jackson and Jace jumped from the earsplitting crash of the ax striking the tree, but they never stopped smiling. Jackson shoved his flashlight into Jace's free hand and ran to grab the ax from his father. Joel guided Jackson's hands so that they were properly wrapped around the large tool. The ax was heavy for Jackson to guide on his own, so Joel supported him as he made his very first swing at the tree. It barely nicked the trunk, but Jackson's face beamed with pride.

"Good job son," Joel congratulated. "Ready to hit it harder?"

"Yeah!" Jackson answered enthusiastically. Jace watched with excitement, waiting for his turn to lay into the tree. He kept the two flashlights on the tree while his brother and father continued to hack away at the trunk.

A faint voice found its way into his ears. Jace loosened his grip on the flashlights and the beams became lost in the rest of the forest. The darkness stopped Joel and Jackson from making any further progress with the tree. With a quick "Hey!" from Jackson, Jace snapped back to the situation and directed the lights back to the tree, allowing Jackson and Joel to continue cutting down the tree. Not too many minutes passed before Jackson and Joel could not see what they were doing again. They looked at Jace, whose silhouette was focused on something else now.


	3. Back In The Day III

"We can't see!" Jackson shouted. "Put the flashlights back over here!"

"What's wrong, son?" Joel asked in a softer tone.

"Did y'all hear that?" Jace asked, looking into the woods.

"Hear what?" Joel asked. He took full hold of the ax now, much to Jackson's dismay.

"Somebody said 'help,'" Jace told his father and brother.

"We didn't hear anything," Jackson said, "so let's get back to chopping the tree. It's getting darker."

Joel put a hand on Jackson's shoulder. He heard a voice now as well. He guided his oldest son toward his youngest son. When the three of them were together, they all stood still for a moment. Another faint cry for help passed through the slight breeze that blew through the forest.

"I heard it too," Jackson said. "Sounds like a little girl."

"Dad," Jace said, his voice more subdued, "I'm scared."

"You're _scared_?" Jackson mocked his brother. "It's just a lost girl, probably looking for her family or friends or something, right Dad?"

"Uh, yeah," Joel answered hesitantly. "Yeah, probably. It sounds like she's on the opposite side of the open space, not too far from where we're set up. Stay close to me."

Jackson and Jace obeyed their father and stuck close to him as they slowly crept through the trees and back towards the open clearing. It was an open area that stretched about thirty yards from end to end. Jackson, more adventurous than his brother, wanted to go ahead to find the girl, but a firm hand from Joel prevented him from going any further.

"Dad," he said, "are _you_ scared too?"

"Hello?" Joel called out into the air, ignoring his son's question. "Are you lost?"

"Not anymore," the girl's voice called back in response. A man appeared from behind a tree on the other end of the clearing. In the pale dusk, they could barely make out any of his features. He only looked like an ordinary man, dressed in all black.

"Are you the girl's dad?" Jackson called out with wide eyes. "Where is she?"

"She's nowhere," the man replied in the girl's voice before it deepened to his natural tone. "I thought I sensed humans here. _Two _children, though…it must be my lucky day indeed."

"Sensing humans?" Joel repeated uneasily. "What are you talking about? What's making your day so lucky?"

"The more innocent the victim," the man explained with an air of mystery to his voice, "the more satisfaction I get."

"What the hell is going on here?" Joel asked. "Are you crazy or something? Listen, my boys and I are just out here camping for the weekend. Whatever you're doing is your business, not ours, so just leave us alone and we're gonna do the same."

"I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy," the man hissed as he held out a hand in front of him. The hand began to make a crackling sound as green sparks danced across it.

"He knows magic?" Jackson asked his father, wide-eyed.

"Dad," Jace added, "is he gonna do a trick?"

"Yes," the man said, speaking before Joel had a chance to answer his sons. "You'll love this trick…"

Joel looked at the man with a confused expression, trying to figure out what he meant. The man's hand started glowing as the green energy sparks slowly combined with themselves to eventually create a whirling spherical mass. He hurled it like a baseball at Jace, the youngest of Joel's children. It cast an eerie green light around the area as it sailed through the air. Joel's face immediately panicked; he instinctively jumped in front of his son, his body and his arms shielding both Jace and Jackson. The two boys screamed as the energy ball struck Joel square in the chest.

Joel's body jerked uncontrollably. His face looked to be in immense pain. Jackson and Jace kept screaming as their father suffered. The man did not move; he only looked on in amusement as his attack continued to take effect. The two boys covered their eyes as the greenness grew into a blinding flash of light, while the man only watched without blinking. As the light subsided, Jackson and Jace were speechless as they looked at Joel…or what had become of him.

Where Joel once stood was now a tree. It was a tall tree, a few meters tall. It was far shorter than the other trees, and had a slightly different color to its bark. Looking closely at the bark, Jackson could make out facial features that kind of resembled his father. He looked at Jace, not knowing what to say. For a minute they just stood by the tree, hoping that this was all a dream and that everything was going to be okay.

"Jackson?" Jace asked, inching toward his brother. "What happened to Dad?"

"I don't know," Jackson said slowly, running his hand across the bark and tracing the outline of his father's face.

"I'd tell you," the mysterious man said, catching the attention of the two brothers, "but I'm afraid you'll be joining him. He was just in the way anyway. The real catch tonight is the two of you. Innocent children give far more power than adults."

The silence of the clear night sky was suddenly pierced by the cries of the two young children as the man sealed their fates. His body glowed a bright green as his strength seemed to increase. He stretched his arms out, allowing himself to grow accustomed to his newly acquired power. He felt exhilarated, as if he could do anything. Smiling slyly, he disappeared from the scene in a burst of green light, with only one destination in mind. A bright red flash in the shape of an incredibly large dome lit up the entire forest for a brief moment and the man found himself rolling along the ground, dazed. He slowly rose to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his black clothes. He let loose a loud growl that echoed throughout the whole forest as he once again sank back into the depths of the trees, awaiting his next victim.


	4. That Kiss Though!

**_Present Day – April 2002_**

"Class ring?" James asked Matthew as he read off the items on a list written on a sheet of paper.

"Check," Matthew answered.

"Cap and gown?" James continued.

"Check and check," Matthew responded.

"Study guide for the final next week?" James said.

"Check," Matthew answered back.

"Making things right with your little brother…" James said uneasily, glancing at Matthew hesitantly.

"Really?" Matthew replied, returning James' look. "You're gonna start this again?"

"Bro," James said, putting a hand on Matthew's shoulder, "it's been a month already. A whole month has gone by and I can count on one hand the number of words y'all have said to each other…in a month."

"Has it been a month?" Matthew asked dryly, rolling his eyes. "Look, I've tried to talk to him. He's the one who's been locked away in his room for the past four weeks. I screwed up; I get it. Have I been trying to make it right? Of course. Has he been open to it? Not at all."

"Do you always ask and answer your own questions?" James joked, trying to ease the situation, but earning another cold stare from Matthew instead. "Right… Well here's the point. In a month, it's gotten to the point where I'm having to relay messages between you and Wes. How did I end up being the middle brother? It sucks."

"Walk a mile in my shoes," Matthew said, patting James on the shoulder. "Let's change the subject for a minute. Any update on this Sam girl?"

"I've tried calling for her, since she's a Guardian," James explained, "but no answer. Even our own Guardian doesn't show up anymore. What the hell good is having one if he's gonna be a no-show all the time? It's annoying."

"Yeah," Matthew agreed. "This is something worth researching. This girl comes out of nowhere and heals you two, and _kisses you_! The only thing we know about her is her name."

"Samantha Russo," James stated. "That kiss has been in my head since then. I don't know, but something about it seems…so familiar. I can't put my finger on it, though. Matt, that girl kissed me like we had been together for a long time, but I don't remember a thing about her except her name."

"And there's nothing about her in the Book?" Matthew asked.

"Nothing," James said. "I checked that Book a hundred times and she's not there. It doesn't make any sense."

"Well, not really," Matthew said. "The Book normally has only spells and information about demons and warlocks. I guess it's not a directory on every magical being on Earth. I don't remember any info on any specific Guardians in there come to think of it."

"So I'm back at square one," James concluded. "But that kiss…"

"Jimmy," Matthew said, checking his watch, "I think we've established that this stranger kissed you. It's driving you crazy. Why don't you try summoning her? Didn't she say that she was summoned by you? Maybe just calling for her isn't enough."

"Think that'll work?" James asked.

"You've got nothing to lose," Matthew said, checking his watch again. "Listen, I've got to get to the library and do some studying before it closes. Let me know how it turns out, but be careful."

"Okay," James said.

Matthew, sighing loudly, left James alone on the living room couch and grabbed his backpack near the door. A few moments later, James heard the front door open and close behind him, followed by a car door opening and closing, followed by an engine revving and a car leaving the driveway. James let loose a sigh himself as he sunk his head into the cushions of the couch.


	5. Thinking Back

About a month had passed since he and his brothers vanquished Bokor, the maniacal demon who killed Wesley's girlfriend Kim. Moreover, it was at that same time that Matthew had finally confessed to Wesley about dating his ex-girlfriend Stephanie. Wesley had barely spoken a word to Matthew, or even James for that matter. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, Wesley and Matthew were on the verge of graduating from Oxford College, beginning their transition to the larger Emory University campus, and rejoining James. However, with the three of them out of sync with each other, they had opened themselves up as being extremely vulnerable to demonic attacks. While no attacks had happened since the Bokor incident, each brother knew that could only mean that a major plan was in the works in the Underworld. That, though, moved to the back burner as they all had busy enough lives as it was.

He decided to be proactive and headed to the basement, where they kept their prized Book of Light. The Book had been in their family for generations, each family member adding to it, and contained centuries of magical information that made it an invaluable resource to them. He flipped through it, looking for any type of spell that could summon other magical beings. He thought back to what Sam had said to him. _He_ summoned _her_. That meant that he must have used a certain spell before. He just needed to remember which one it was.

He scanned page after page for anything related to love. Somehow, the more he thought about her, the fuzzier the details seemed to become. How could it be that he was not able to remember something as poignant as that kiss? He changed his strategy and opted to think instead of specific spells he had recited recently. His mind took him back to the fight with Bokor. He remembered that he and Matthew were searching for Wesley, who had disappeared for quite a while. There was a particular spell he used; something had stuck out about that spell, though.

James thought as hard as he could to recall the circumstances of the spell. He wished he had the memory of either Matthew or Wesley at that moment. Remembering past events was not his forte. He worked hard to mentally put the pieces together. There was a spell, of course, that he had used to find Wesley. The spell was…unconventional…but how so? James tried to reconstitute the conversation he had with Matthew.

_ "__Beats the hell out of me," Matthew said, scratching his head. After a few moments, he jerked his head back towards James, slightly startling his brother. "What if we change the spell?"_

_"Change the spell?" James asked, confused. "Like rewrite it? Can we do that?"_

_"__Worth a shot," Matthew said. "Besides, we've written spells before right?"_

_"__No," James said bluntly._

_"__Well, no time like the present," Matthew suggested as he grabbed a pencil and paper off of an old desk in the corner of the basement."_

It was coming back to him. Matthew had rewritten a spell so that it focused on finding Wesley. He thought harder about that conversation, forcing himself to remember the exact spell that Matthew tweaked. He now knew that the original spell was absurd for the task of finding their brother, but it had been presented to them for a reason. Maybe this was the reason.

_"__Well," James offered to help, "technically we _do_ love Wes, and he _is_ lost, and has been for a long time now. How do you think we should do this?"_

_"__It's tricky," Matthew said, twirling the pencil around his fingers. "Spells have different parts to them. They have to tell the problem, the solution, and what you want to happen. If it's not specific enough who knows what'll happen."_

_"__When did you become an expert on this stuff?" James asked, impressed at his brother's knowledge of magic._

_"__You and Homeboy spend so much time at each other's throats," Matthew explained as he started drafting words, "that somebody's gotta be the voice of reason around here. You know, the one with the best decision making skills."_

_"__Really?" James countered. "You're gonna go there? You're juggling two women at the same time, one of which is your own brother's ex."_

_"Touché," Matthew said, chuckling slightly. "Well we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. How about this: bring together my _brother_ and me instead of bring together my _love_ and me? I think this can work. He'll be here in no time."_

That was it! It was a spell to call a lost love! With a beaming smile, James went back to the Book, this time with a clear purpose in mind. He felt a little let down, though, knowing that no one was around to congratulate his accomplishment, but as he thought more about it, both Matthew and Wesley would probably have found a way to poke fun at him. As he skimmed the pages, his mind carried him back to various points in his life where he and his brothers needed those particular pages. The contents of the Book of Light were in random order; there was no table of contents, which made finding specific entries time-consuming.

He finally found the page he needed: A Spell to Reunite with a Long Lost Love. The spell called for the caster's mind to be totally on the desired person. That came easily enough to James. All he could think about was Sam's kiss, after all. He ran his finger across a short list of ingredients he needed before dashing upstairs to the kitchen.


	6. Changed The Game

Upstairs, Wesley opened the latest reply from a publisher to which he had submitted his writing weeks before. So far, of the nine publishing companies he had contacted, six of them replied with rejections. This was the seventh reply; Wesley was pessimistically anxious about what the letter might say. After having been turned down six times, he almost automatically assumed that this would be unlucky number seven. He ran his finger across the back flap of the envelope, tearing it open from end to end. He plucked out the single sheet of paper inside and looked at it carefully. After staring at it for a minute or so he let loose an abnormally loud expletive as he crumpled the paper into a ball, throwing it as far away from his as he could. He groaned as he closed his eyes and lay on his bed, shaking his head and doubting his ability.

James heard Wesley and decided to check on him. He would have time to find Sam. He had waited this long; a few more minutes would not hurt him. He left the ingredients – a couple sprigs of rosemary, cocoa powder, ginger root, basil leaves, and garlic cloves – and headed toward the living room and upstairs.

"Hey," James said, knocking on Wesley's door. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Wesley said, making his voice as calm as possible. "Just laying down."

"I heard you from all the way downstairs in the kitchen," James said through the door. "I'm coming in."

"You really don't…" Wesley began, but James had already opened the door and entered.

"We need to work some stuff out," James said bluntly. He sat at Wesley's desk.

"Do we have to?" Wesley asked, covering his face with his hands. "I'm kinda tired."

"You and Matt need to get past this," James continued, ignoring Wesley's request. "I know he broke 'the code' and all, but if it makes you feel any better, he feels real bad about it."

"He feels _really_ bad," Wesley corrected, his sound muffled through his hands. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Because you haven't said a word about anything in a month," James answered matter-of-factly. "You've been slinking around here, lifeless like a zombie since then. At least get how you feel off your chest. You owe yourself that much."

"Since when did you become so level-headed?" Wesley asked, trying to push James' buttons so that he would leave. "It's never been your strong suit."

"Nice try," James said, almost taking the bait. "Just talk. Let it out."

"I don't want to," Wesley said in a somewhat childish tone. He turned away from James, facing the window.

"It's not gonna be that easy," James said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He carefully unfolded it, revealing a picture of Matthew. He placed it over his face and walked to the other side of Wesley's bed. Clearing his throat, he put on his best imitation of Matthew's gravely voice. "Hey homeboy, it's me, Matt. I'm sorry I slept with your girl. I feel like crap."

Wesley raised one eyebrow at James pretending to be Matthew. With a quizzical expression, he tried to imagine James' thought processes in order to rationalize this bizarre counseling session. Before he knew it, a slight chuckle escaped from his mouth. Then another. The more he looked at Matthew's face covering James', the funnier it became to him.

"You're certifiably stupid," Wesley said, smiling. He sat upright on his bed. "I'll tell you what. You stay here; _I'll _leave."

With a flick of James' finger, Wesley's body jerked uncontrollably back onto his bed. His back slammed adamantly onto the bed, his arms pinned to his sides. Rolling his eyes, he struggled for a minute, but found he could not fight against his oldest brother's telekinetic power. He exhaled sharply as he relaxed his body and closed his eyes. He opened them and saw James' smirking face. He gave his brother a sly smile of his own, and winked before disappearing in a flurry of blue and white lights. The look on James' face was priceless. His head jerked left and right, looking for Wesley.

"Where are you?" he called out into the air.

"I'm right here," Wesley answered, walking back into his room. "Changed the game, didn't I?"

"You can glimmer now?" James asked, wide-eyed. "When did _this_ happen?"

"Since my stupid powers let me down before," Wesley explained. "I've spent the past month practicing. It's not the best for now, but at least it's more controllable."

"That's great bro!" James exclaimed, falling onto Wesley's bed. "I'm proud of you!"

"That's great, but I don't really need your approval," Wesley told James flatly. "You knew about Matt dating Stephanie the whole time and didn't tell me. That makes you just as bad as him. Keeping secrets about little things is one thing, but this was flat out…betrayal!"

"Do you think it was easy for me?" James asked, looking directly into Wesley's unforgiving eyes. "I told him to tell you as soon as he told me. I saw this whole thing happening a long time ago. He's the one who told me not to tell anybody. He's my brother too; I'm not gonna stab one brother in the back for the other. If anybody was in the awkward position, it was me!"

Wesley paused. James actually had a point. Was he just being one-sided about this whole thing? Wesley lowered his eyes in defeat. He walked over to his desk and sat down. He realized at that moment that James, for once, was right. Wesley had no real reason to be mad at him. Matthew was the real target. Wesley felt a little guilty that he had maybe taken advantage of being demon free for the past month to project his feelings for Matthew onto James as well. The more he thought about it, the more he recognized that it was not only his feelings about Matthew. It was his feelings about everything: his stream of rejections from the publishing companies, his girlfriend's death, her funeral, his responsibility for Kim's death.

"Look," he began, "I guess I took my feelings for Matt out on you. It wasn't fair. My fault."

"So you're saying…" James prodded, grinning devilishly.

"I'm saying…," Wesley chose his words carefully, "I took my feelings for Matt out on you and it wasn't fair. That's all you get from me."

"I guess I'll take that," James said. "So then, talk to me bro. What's on your mind?"


	7. A Heartfelt Speech

Chyp and Sam stood before their bosses, the Superiors, with their heads hung low in shame. They had deliberately disobeyed a direct order, putting them both in serious trouble. Sam looked at Chyp with eyes of regret, knowing that this was all her fault. Chyp looked back with a look of remorse, ashamed that he had been put in such a disastrous position. Having been a Guardian for decades, he should have known better than to get involved in such a predicament. He had the most enviable of assignments; he was chosen to be the Guardian of the Complete. The Guardian with that privilege was looked at as the most revered of Guardians. Now, he risked losing that position.

"I'm going to lose my assignment because of you," he said to Sam in a sharp voice.

"I've already apologized for bringing you into this," Sam answered, "but I'm not going to keep apologizing. I told you; it wasn't exactly my fault that I showed up. I've been fighting it as long as I could. I admit, a part of me has always wanted to go back and see him, but to the best of my ability I've stayed away. Just like I said before, I was summoned. I can't fight against their powers. C'mon, we _all_ know who they are anyway."

"Guardians have a higher power," Chyp countered. He began pacing back and forth in a small area near Sam, nervous about what the Superiors might have to say. "We have to stay true to our commitment, otherwise being a Guardian is no different than anything else."

"I get that," Sam said slowly. She was getting nowhere with Chyp. As young as he appeared, she could see his true age in his words and unyielding temperament.

A sudden and powerful ringing resounded forcefully inside both their heads, signaling the arrival of their bosses, the Superiors. They immediately stopped their conversation and faced the nine golden robed being who appeared before them in glorious showers of golden lights. Acknowledging their presence, they bowed low and waited to be spoken to before saying a word. For a long while, the Superiors glared at Sam and Chyp as if they were having a hidden conversation right in front of them. Their eyes moved intently from Sam to Chyp, back to Sam, back to Chyp, then to each other. Then the process would repeat itself.

"For God's sake!" Sam blurted out. "Somebody please say _something_!"

Chyp's eyes widened at Sam's impatience. He had never known anyone to disobey the Superiors before meeting Sam. He was not sure how they would react to her insubordination, especially considering that this was the second time she failed to follow their orders. He continued to wait quietly, secretly hoping that Sam would dig herself an even deeper hole, diverting their attention from him and focusing more on her. He never wanted anything to do with the whole situation; she had pulled him into this and he never regretted it more.

"You have done enough," the head of the Superiors, Alpha, said in a deep and disapproving tone. "You are a Guardian and we are the Superiors. You will speak only when you are spoken to."

"Although you seem to have a penchant for breaking the rules," Beta, another Superior added.

"Before we decide on what to do with you," a third Superior called Gamma said, "we will allow you to speak _briefly_ and plead your case."

"_Briefly_," Alpha repeated for emphasis.

Sam took a moment to gather her thoughts and her words. She needed to keep her position as a Guardian; she knew that the Superiors could strip her of her powers at any time, rendering her completely mortal. If that were to happen she would have nothing. She loved being a Guardian and guiding and protecting witches, but she had also come to realize that through a series of events she loved James, who was a witch. There were rules specifically put into place to prevent Guardians and witches from loving each other. Sam knew that rules were vital to Guardians; she knew she needed a lot of luck to get out of this one.

"I can only speak from my heart," Sam began, her eyes moving from one Superior to the next with pleading eyes. "I have been a faithful Guardian for three years. I have helped guide a lot of witches and made sure that they've all had what they needed from me. I've done all of this by the rules every single time. I don't have to explain the feeling of love to you; you know its unpredictability. Nobody knows why people fall in love. I know that in our line of work falling in love is restricted to other Guardians, but I can't help who stole my heart.

"Love is a powerful thing. It might be the most powerful type of magic out there. After the first time, believe me, I tried everything I could to stay away from James. I threw myself into my work, I did anything to distract myself from thinking about him. As I told Chyp, I did not have a choice this time. I was summoned by him. Whether he knew it or not, I don't know. All I know is that this time, things were out of my control. I have followed all the rules, and I'm being punished for that? One of our most important rules is that we must help a witch if at all possible in times of an emergency, and that's exactly what I did. Of course it just happened to be James and his brothers, but don't you think they deserve special attention? Chyp has done a great job so far in guiding them, and will continue to do so. If anything, I'm glad he's their Guardian.

"I don't know if what I'm saying is getting through to you, or if you've pretty much already made up your mind, but you _must_ believe me when I tell you that I am one hundred percent serious about my job as a Guardian. It's all I know. Don't take that away from me. Send me to the other side of the Earth if you must, but I understand that my job as a Guardian comes above all else."

The Superiors listened to Sam, taking in every word. After she finished they turned to each other, still quiet. Without warning, all nine pairs of their eyes began to glow a brilliant golden color. Both Sam and Chyp jumped back a little, taken off guard. Sam had never seen anything of this nature, but Chyp had once before. They were communicating with each other telepathically. Apparently, what they had to say was very detailed because they stayed in a telepathic link for quite a while.

"Do you think they're gonna keep me a Guardian?" Sam whispered to Chyp. She kept one eye on the Superiors while she spoke to him.

"No idea," Chyp replied. "You gave a good speech. My opinion isn't important here, though. What matters now is how they choose to process what you've said. I do, though, appreciate what you said about me."

"I meant it," Sam insisted. "I know that you haven't been able to do your job the best you can because I've kept interfering and keeping you away from them, but you've got the best job of all! I know you'll be able to do way better than I could ever do, especially with the whole James thing…"

"Thank you," Chyp said. "I guess the only thing we have left to do is wait for their decision."


	8. Matthew's Little Trick

Matthew sat inside his green Acura for a while, parked in a large parking lot. His conscience was starting to get the best of him. He had lied to his brother, lied to two women, and lied to himself. Was he in over his head? This was completely unlike him. Of he and his brothers, Matthew had established himself as the balanced one. He was the level-headed one and the most rational of the three. He kept calm in sticky situations and was perhaps the only one who could keep James and Wesley from killing each other. Thinking back, he noticed that he could pinpoint when things started going downhill. Keeping Ariana and Stephanie from knowing about each other, balancing two girlfriends at one time, and keeping all of that from his brothers was mentally taxing enough. In addition to that, he had to maintain his grades in a college that placed a great emphasis on academics. It was important for him to keep top notch grades. He had been an A student all his life.

On top of all that, he had to remember that he was now a witch. And not just _any _witch; he was one of the three most powerful witches the world would ever know. A title like that demanded a certain amount of attention. He could not abandon his duty to protect innocent people. For nearly the past two years, he and his brothers had vanquished many demons and warlocks and other evil beings, they had done and seen things that most normal people only imagined, and had strengthened their bond as brothers. Two years ago he did not even know that he _had _brothers. He could not abandon any of that.

He thought and thought and thought some more. In his mind, he made lists of pros and cons, he checked things off, and he weighed various options. He knew who he was, what he was capable of, and what he could and could not handle. After almost a half hour had passed, he reached into his glove compartment, having finally made a decision. He pulled out a torch lighter and a sheet of paper, and carefully read what was written, making sure to remember everything word for word. He took a deep breath and folded the paper in half, then in half again. He placed the folded paper against his chest and recited the words on it from memory:

_"I call upon the powers to set me free  
Of all feelings of guilt and negativity.  
Remove remorse from my heart and my mind  
As I send out this burning sign."_

Matthew clicked the torch and lit the paper on fire. He held it by a corner until it burned away into nothing. The smoke turned a purple-blue color and swirled around his body a few times, causing him to glow the same color. In the broad daylight, though, it was hardly visible to him. He felt a bit dizzy and disoriented for a minute or two, but that was to be expected. When he was back to normal he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, waiting patiently.

"Hello?" a voice called through his phone.

"Hi," he answered, smiling as if that person could see him. "Do you wanna get dinner and a movie tonight?"

"Tonight?" the voice said hesitantly. "I've got some work to finish and a paper I need to start, but I think I should be done in time. When were you thinking?"

"Late night," Matthew suggested. "I've got some work to do as well, so I wanna make sure you and I both have enough time. And after the movie I was thinking we could go back to your place…"

"Matt!" the voice exclaimed in a squeal. "You're so dirty! But you got me sold, babe. I've gotta run some errands and get my work done, and we'll play it by ear, but all signs are pointing to yes."

"Perfect," Matthew said. "I'm gonna take care of some errands myself now. Talk to you later, Ariana."

Matthew hung up the phone and took a deep breath. He clicked a button on his keyring, locking his car. Looking around briefly, he headed out the parking lot and to a three story building, a dormitory called Dowman Hall. He pulled out his student ID card and slid it through a scanner, unlocking the door. Smiling at the few students in the lobby, he proceeded inside the residence hall, up to the second floor. Arriving at room 204, he knocked rather quietly on the door.

"Hey you!" Stephanie exclaimed as she opened the door. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you until later."

"Hey," Matthew said with a grin as he kissed Stephanie's cheek. He strolled into her dorm room and sat on her bed. "I just stopped by on my way to the library to get some studying done. I've kind of been putting school on hold lately, but my pride won't let me give up my A average."

"Well you're better than I am," she replied, closing the door and joining him on the bed. She leaned in and put a hand on his chest, gently caressing it. "As much as I study you'd think I could get straight As. Spanish is kicking my butt; I sound like a _gringo_."

"_Gringa_," Matthew corrected her, covering her hand with his and squeezing it tightly. "You're a girl, so…"

"Rub it in," Stephanie said as she playfully pushed Matthew away. "How long are you gonna be on campus?"

"I need to look for some books for my final paper, and work on getting ready for a History exam," Matthew explained. "There's a Math final in two days and I haven't cracked the textbook open in a week."

"What have you been doing with your time?" Stephanie asked, almost tempted to laugh.

"Just been…busy," Matthew answered in a nonchalant manner. He checked his watch. "Uh oh, I better get a move on before the library ends up closing."

"Matt," Stephanie said, looking at her desk clock, "it's early in the afternoon. The library doesn't close until midnight. You know they're open late because of finals."

"I know," Matthew said with a sly expression on his face as he stared Stephanie down. "We better get started…"


	9. A Surprise Visitor

"Fair enough," James said to Wesley. "I won't interfere if you don't want me to…"

"Good," Wesley said.

"But you know Matt's a boxer," James reminded him. "You might be able to get a couple quick hits in because of your size, but he's gonna clobber you like the Thing."

"His guilt won't let him," Wesley countered.

"His pride won't _stop_ him," James insisted. "Besides, you're not the kind of guy to start a fight. You're the one who talks trash from the sidelines."

Wesley stopped and thought about his idea of beating up Matthew for his betrayal. However, what James said started to make a lot of sense. He was barely 5'9" and weighed 160 pounds, while Matthew was an even six feet and outweighed him by over forty pounds. It would not be a fair fight by any means. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how absurd his idea was. Wesley could never fight Matthew. It was not going to solve anything, and it was not a very practical thing to try and do. He sighed, knowing that once again, James had a point.

"I guess," Wesley answered him. "I just wish I never found out about this whole thing. It was better off with me not knowing anything. I don't know if I can even look at him the same. I mean, all the people in the world and he chooses Stephanie. This is something _you_ would do, not him."

"He told you because he cares about you and couldn't keep it from you," James said. "That's got to count for…wait, what do you mean something I would do?"

"Never mind," Wesley said. "I have enough crap to deal with anyway. Two finals on the same day, two more back to back the next two days, and I got another rejection from the publishers. Could this day _get _any worse?"

The doorbell rang, answering his question. He looked at James apprehensively; James rolled his eyes. They both sat in Wesley's room for a moment, wondering if they should answer the door or ignore it. James shot a cold stare at Wesley, who immediately understood its meaning. Nearly every time they questioned why they had not encountered a demon in a while, one would conveniently appear. Whenever they wondered if the day could get worse, it usually did.

"I know," Wesley sighed. "This time's my fault. I'll get it, but you come too."

"Eighteen year old scaredy cat," James taunted as he and Wesley walked downstairs.

The doorbell rang again, then again, as Wesley and James made their way through the living room. Before Wesley could even open the door, whoever was on the other side of it exercised extreme impatience and started beating on the door, as if there was an emergency. Wesley took a deep breath and pulled the door opened swiftly.

"Wassup bro!"

"Wyatt!?" Wesley said wide-eyed, not quite expecting to see that person on the other side of the door.

A tall fifteen year old young man grabbed Wesley and lifted him into the air, catching him off guard. James watched awkwardly; he had no idea who this guy was. Wesley shook himself loose and took a big step back, staring at the one who had greeted him so excitedly. He was tall, just a bit taller than James. He was slightly darker than Wesley's skin color, a medium shade of brown. He had an athletic body; he obviously worked out. He smiled warmly at Wesley and James, extending a hand out toward James.

"You must be Jimmy," he presumed, waiting for James to shake his hand.

"Right," James answered hesitantly, cautiously shaking the young man's hand. He gripped it firmly, almost too firm, which showed on the face.

"Alright, alright," Wesley said, stepping in between the two before things got out of hand. "Jimmy, this is my little brother Wyatt from Texas. Wyatt, this is Jimmy."

"Right," James repeated, withdrawing his hand and crossing his arms. "So what are you doing here?"

"Nice to meet you too," Wyatt replied, looking at Wesley. "You're right, he doesn't have much of a personality."

"Don't start," Wesley said before James could get a word in. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but…what _are_ you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school? Where's Whit?"

"Whit?" James asked.

"Our sister Whitney," Wyatt informed him. "She's a year older than me. She didn't wanna come. Prom is this weekend and she's got dates lined up for the next few days. She calls it 'auditioning.'"

"Sounds about right," Wesley said, shaking his head.

"Anyway," Wyatt continued, "I told you I would be in town this weekend visiting colleges. Ma said I could come alone since you were already here and that you'd show me around town. Besides that, I came to cheer you up, so we're going camping."

"Well she certainly didn't tell me about you coming for…wait a minute," Wesley said, realizing the last part of what Wyatt said.

"Camping!?" he and James said at the same time.

"Yep," Wyatt answered. "Remember when we would go with Granddad all the time when we were little? I figured we'd hang out, catch up, stuff like that."

"What the hell is going on here?" James asked, confused. "Wes, you don't like camping. You hate anything that's outdoors."

"Everybody sit down," Wesley suggested as the three of them moved to the living room from the doorway. "Jimmy, Wyatt is my little brother. Back in the day we were pretty close. All three of us were. We would go camping with our grandfather and just have a good time together. Since then, we're all still close. I talk to my family back home frequently. Besides my mama, Wyatt and Whitney know…about you and Matt and me…what we are."

"You _told _them?" James asked in a loud voice. "You can't go around telling everyone! That puts them in danger!"

"Calm down man," Wyatt said. "It's not that serious."

"Not that serious?" James mocked Wyatt. "Do you have any idea what we deal with all the time around here? What goes on in this house is stuff that you can't even _imagine_ is real."

"I have a pretty good imagination," Wyatt countered.

"Still doesn't come close," James insisted, his tone rising slightly.

"Try me," Wyatt challenged.

"Kid," James said dismissively, "you're like twelve. I'm an adult."

"And that's enough for today," Wesley said, standing up. "Hmm, so this is what it's like to be Matt. Sucks. So Wyatt, you're gonna take your bags upstairs to the guest room, second door on the right. Jimmy, you're gonna stay where you are. Then we'll figure everything out. Everything's gonna be fine."


	10. Another Visitor

At that moment, a demon materialized in the doorway. He was about Wesley's height, but significantly larger. He looked like a normal human man, except that his eyes were completely red. He was bare chested, with a strange symbol tattooed onto the middle of his chest. The symbol resembled a capital P combined with a capital L; that combination was inside an upside down triangle.

"So this is the home of the infamous Complete," the demon hissed, staring at the three young men in the living room. He raised a hand and a fireball ignited itself in his palm. The fireball spun on its axis, rotating slightly as it hovered ominously in the demon's hand.

"Get down!" Wesley shouted at Wyatt as the demon hurled the fireball at him and his brothers.

James roughly pushed Wyatt so that he tripped and tumbled over the living room sofa, while he dove in the opposite direction, over the coffee table. Wesley closed his eyes and disappeared in a shower of blue and white lights. He vanished in the nick of time; the fireball just missed him. It continued on and struck the coffee table, which exploded in a small conflagration. The impact of the explosion threw James further than he had anticipated and he slammed into a wall headfirst. Wyatt peeked his head from behind the sofa to see what the noise was. What was just the coffee table a few seconds ago had been reduced to splinters and debris in the blink of an eye. He stared at the demon, who focused on him. He ignited another fireball in his hand, aiming for the sofa. As he raised his hand to throw it, he suddenly froze in motion.

Wesley had glimmered behind the demon and his hands were extended. He looked at Wyatt, who was also frozen in place. He ran to check on James; he was knocked out cold. He shook him vigorously, trying to awaken him, but he had no luck. He quickly returned to Wyatt. Waving one hand in front of Wyatt's face, Wesley unfroze him. Wyatt jumped back a little.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked frantically. "Weren't you just over there? Is that a…a…"

"Demon," Wesley finished Wyatt's sentence in a matter-of-fact tone. "I guess your imagination's not much compared to the real thing, huh? You need to get out of here now. Go upstairs and take your stuff with you. I'll call you down when it's safe."

"But," Wyatt protested.

"Go!" Wesley said forcefully, pointing at the stairway.

Wyatt hung his head and quickly gathered his two bags. He rushed towards the stairs as the demon unfroze. The fireball hit the center of the sofa, creating a large hole right in the middle cushion and flying through the other side, where it struck the wall and made a large hole. Wesley jumped back; he had almost forgotten about the demon. Wyatt, hearing the loud noise, sneaked back to the bottom of the stairs, watching the battle. His curiosity got the best of him; he needed to see what was happening.

"Jimmy!" he shouted at James, trying to get his attention. James still did not move.

The demon took notice and unleashed a third fireball, this time at James' unconscious body slumped against the wall. Wesley reached a hand out and quickly froze the fireball. He, the demon, and James formed some sort of line segment. With the demon in between Wesley and James, however, Wesley was at a disadvantage trying to get to his oldest brother. Wesley knew that the demon would not stay frozen for long, nor would the fireball. The last time had only bought him a couple minutes. This time would most likely be for less time. He had to act fast; James was not in any condition to help fight the demon. Matthew was presumably off studying. This time he was by himself. Thinking quickly, he glimmered out of sight, reappearing next to the demon. Wyatt blinked his eyes furiously at the sight. He had heard Wesley's stories of their fights with demons, but it was a completely different thing to see it firsthand.


End file.
